


This Christmas

by AbbieHollowDays (USS_Ichabbie), USS_Ichabbie



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 19:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2785685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USS_Ichabbie/pseuds/AbbieHollowDays, https://archiveofourown.org/users/USS_Ichabbie/pseuds/USS_Ichabbie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry and Iris relax after everyone leaves their Christmas party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> So this one shot is inspired in part by Glamaphonic's comments on this post http://nonimaginaryfriend.tumblr.com/post/104969221047/im-sorry-can-we-just-talk-bout-what-i-know-other on tumblr. 
> 
> So it's kind of an AU I guess, taking place several years after the current season. (Cisco is married for instance). 
> 
> It's just a wee little bit of fluff I wanted to get out for the holidays. Please pardon any errors! :)

Iris waved goodbye to Caitlin as she backed her car out of the West’s driveway and plopped down next to Barry on the sofa, tugging self-consciously on the edges of her oversized sweater.  She gazed at the pile of opened gifts next to the tree and wrinkled her nose.  "I feel so bad, Bear! You went all out  for me this year and I feel like none of the gifts I got you were... right.  I knew I should have just asked for a list like normal person."  

Barry pulled her close, kissed the top of her head and laughed.  "I love everything! It was perfect! And you're perfect, and I love you. What more could a guy ask for?"  

He felt the tension leaving her body and he tilted her face up to his for another kiss.

When they finally parted, Barry pushed himself from the sofa and walked toward the kitchen.  "I'm getting another cup of eggnog... want some?"

She bit her lip and looked away quickly. "Nope! I'm... I'm good."

" _You're_ turning down eggnog? You love Grandma Esther's ‘nog! You used to drink everyone under the table, including me, at least before... you know..."  he zigzagged a finger in the air and made a little lightning sound above his head. "I'm just glad Caitlin's gift was more of that high octane stuff to add to my cup so at least I can have a buzz for a few min...."

Barry stopped mid-sentence and turned around. Time seemed to stand still for a moment while he surveyed the room.    
  
_Joe was passed out in an easy chair still covered by the unevenly hand-knit afghan Iris had made him. The lights from the Christmas tree reflected off the TV and windows behind him._

_ The pug puppy Barry had gotten Iris for a gift (which she immediately named "Streak") had ball of discarded wrapping paper in his mouth and looked as if he was searching for a place to do his business. _

_ And Iris... his Iris.  She was laying back on the sofa, her ponytail bunched behind her and a few stray hairs framed her face.  Both hands rested on her belly, slowly caressing it.  Her head was slightly turned his direction,and he could see the look of excitement and apprehension on her face.   _

_ No eggnog.  No eggnog all night.... The extra weight in her boobs and butt that he'd thoroughly enjoyed cuddling but was smart enough to never mention to her. That winter flu bug that "was going around" but no one but Iris seemed to have caught.    _

_ For the first time in many years, Barry Allen felt dizzy and desperately out of breath. Slowing to normal speed again, he fell back against a side table to steady himself. "Iris..." _

Alarmed by the sudden look of panic and distress on Barry's face, Iris bolted from the couch and was by his side in seconds.  "Bear? Are you OK???" She said, speaking loudly. Her hand cradled the side of his face and she looked him directly in the eyes. "Hold on!  I'm going to call Caitlin. She couldn't have gotten all the way home yet."  

"No. I'll be fine. Just stay here... with me... for a minute."  Barry grabbed her hand and bent at the waist; willing the oxygen back into his lungs.

"OK." she said tentatively.  She rubbed his back calmly, but her eyes still darted around the room until she located her cell.

Finally composed again, Barry stood up straight and noted the worried look still on Iris' face. The whole episode must only have lasted for a few minutes, but he felt embarrassed about causing her to worry for even that short amount of time.

"I'm good, honest".  He hugged her.  “I think I was just hyperventilating or something."  He cleared his throat. "Iris, I gotta ask...  Are you...? I mean, are we...?" He looked down at her midsection and then back up at her.

She bit her lip and then slowly nodded. "Yes."

Her next words came out in a flood. "Bear, I wanted to tell you. I mean I really, really wanted to tell you, but we'd been so careful and I didn't think it was even possible for the longest time. Then I wanted to make absolutely sure before I said anything.” 

  
“At first I thought the test was wrong and so I got a whole bunch of tests. And then I went to the doctor. And the doctor said I was, but then I freaked out and was really worried about what you'd say. The timing probably isn’t the best."  She crossed her arms in front of her.  

"And then Captain Cold came back and nearly killed you and I was so scared about you and then I was so worried about the baby. I mean, what if it's a meta-baby? What if he's fast like you and he's in his terrible two's and starts running and I have to chase him while he runs up the walls or  starts setting the carpets on fire because he goes too fast? What if someone figures out you're The Flash and to get to you they try to hurt him, or her? Oh God, Barry! What if it's twins?  They run in my mom’s side of the family."

She stopped, and felt her way to the nearest chair suddenly overcome at the thought.

He was staring at her. Iris was normally really good at reading him after all these years, but this time she couldn't figure out what he was thinking. She chastised herself for rambling on like that.  What if he wasn't ready for all this? Kids... a family? She desperately needed to know what he was thinking, but now was almost too afraid to ask.

Barry Allen, the fastest man on earth, was stuck several moments behind Iris in the present conversation. At the moment when she'd said "Yes." to be exact.  

They'd talked about it before, having kids, even before they were officially together.  Iris had uploaded both of their pics into a site that created an image of what your kids would look like just for kicks.  The result was beyond creepy. Barry hated looking at it, which of course meant Iris had to put it everywhere he'd be.  On his phone, on his screensaver, in the fridge, In his underwear drawer, in the bathroom cabinet, in his lunch and once (with the begrudging help of her dad) in an evidence bag in among others from a crime scene.  His reaction every time he saw it was an exasperated "Goddammit, Iris!" which sent her into a fit of laughter.

They'd had competitions for who could find the worst possible names for their future baby. Iris had almost won when she found a business card with from a guy called Butch Camaro, but Barry was declared the winner when he found someone with the first name Fearless Trust, and middle name Proclaim Goodness.  "There's no way that's real!" she'd pinched him playfully. "I swear it is!" He squirmed away from her. "They walked into the precinct one day to be questioned and they insisted on being called Fearless Trust EVERY TIME!"

They'd made a fake baby registry and played around with the scanner in the baby story while looking for a gift for Cisco and his wife’s first child, not even caring when people stared as they tested out the toys or came up with alternate uses for the beast pumps and other strange looking equipment.  (They'd been banned from the store after that.)

But this... this was real and surreal all at the same time.  Was it really happening?

"I'm…” his voice was thick with emotion. “I’m gonna be a dad?" His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

“Is that OK?” she asked hesitantly. “I would never want to force you into anything.”

Barry silently dropped to his knees in front of Iris, and she watched him lift her sweater a few inches and place a tender kiss on her stomach and then another for good measure before looking back up at her; his wide blue eyes full of tears. "Iris... we're going to have a baby!"

She breathed a sigh of relief and own tears fell freely now.  "Yeah, I guess we are!" She leaned forward, rested an arm on both of his shoulders and began to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.  "Are you sure we're ready for this?"

"Honestly? I’m absolutely terrified!" he laughed at himself. "And I have no idea what this kid's going to be like. But if there is anything in this world that I'm absolutely sure about, it's you and me, Iris. We're going to figure this out together, just like we always do, and I'll do everything and anything it takes to protect our  _family_.  Even if it means hanging up the red suit for good."  

"Well. hold on there, Speedy.  I'm kind of partial to the red suit."  She bent down for a kiss, but then caught a whiff of the little present Streak had just left behind.  

"Oh, God. That's really awful! And i'm going to have to clean up diapers like that every day for months on end now?  I’ll never make it!" She laughed.

"Wait! Wait right there! I've got this!" said Barry.  He sped around the room and in short order, Streak's mess was cleaned up, the tables were cleared, the dishes were washed, the downstairs lights were off and he and Iris laid across her old bed upstairs.  

“See?! All finished!”  Barry said triumphantly.  
  
“Look at you!  You’re going to be a great daddy!”  Iris smiled at his overwhelming enthusiasm.

" _We’re_ going to be great _parents_.”  He countered with a warm grin.  
  
Now I think..." he said, lips hovering over hers. "We were about to celebrate something."  He kissed her, then raised an eyebrow. "Should I run down to the lab and get the suit?"

"Ooh!" Iris giggled.  "Let's see who can get changed and back into bed first.  Last one there is a rotten egg!"

"You're on!" Barry replied.

Iris jumped up, but he waited; hands folded behind his head for a full sixty seconds while watching her undress to give her a head start.

"Cocky bastard!" She threw her sweater at him, but by then he was already gone.

Iris was wasting precious seconds, but she couldn't help staring at her nude body in the the long mirror that hung on the back of the bedroom door and smiling at the little bump she saw.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Bear." she whispered softly, just before feeling the familiar rush of cool air around her.


End file.
